Internal combustion engine



l May 15', 1934.

H. c. EDWARDS 1,958,987

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE I Filed Dec. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l www t o@ HERBERT C EUA/BEDS.

May 15, 1934 H. c. EDWARDS 1,958,987

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Deo. so, 1930 2 sheefs-sheet 2 EEZ E HERBERT C.' EDNHEDS.

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Patented May 15, 1934 1,958,987 l INTERNAL coMBUs'rIoN ENGINE Herbert C. Edwards, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich., a. corporation of Michigan Application December 30, 1930, Serial No. 505,563 I 3 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to mechanism for regulating the fuel charge injections.

In multi-cylinder internal combustion engines I Where a plurality of fuel injection devices are responsive to the movement of a single member for regulating the quantity of the charges delivered, considerable manual effort is required for the manipulation of devices now employed. Also,

due to vibration and other causes creeping of the devices from a position oi desired adjustment occurs unless a separate locking means is provided, and in many instances a locking means is undesirable.

An object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved form of control mechanism for the regulation of a plurality of fuel injection devices associated with an internal combustion engine.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a control mechanism for regulating the fuel injection devices of a multi-cylinder Diesel engine which can be readily manipulated by an operator and which will remain fixed in any desired position oi adjustment.

A further object of the invention is to provide operating and control mechanism for a regulating ring associated with radially arranged fuel injection devices of a radial internal combustion engine which is irreversible and easily operated.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, looking at the rear of a radial engine, partly broken away and in section to show the association of the control mechanism with the injection regulating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the regulating mechanism taken on line 2- 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;l

Fig. 4 is another sectional vievv of the same Aassociated with a fragment of the regulating mechanism taken on line lV-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the nozzle section oi one of the fuel injection devices associated with a cylinder.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference, 10 indicates the barrel-type crank case of a radial internal combustion engine of the fuel injection type. A plurality of cylinders 11 extend from the crank case, and pistons, as indicated at 12, are mounted to reciprocate in the cylinders. The cylinder heads are each provided in this instance with a single port 13 through which air is drawn on the suction strokes and exhaust expelled on the exhaust strokes. The ports are arranged so that air entering the cylinders will be directed to rotate spirally in the cylinders.

The ports are controlled by valves V14: which are closed by springs 15 during the compression and power strokes and opened mechanically, in a conventional manner, during the exhaust and air intake strokes, it being understood that the illustrated engine is of the four stroke cycle type. The mechanism, indicated at 16, for actuating the valves extends from within a compartment in the crank case through the housings `I0 17 and 18 and are actuated by the cam 19 which is driven from the crank shaft.

An oil injection device is associated preferably with each cylinder so that they are disposed radially. Each device is similar and con- 'I5 sists Vgenerally of a nozzle section, a pump section and pump actuating mechanism. The nozzle casing 20 is provided with an end portion v21 which extends through an' opening in the cylinder to which it is attached by bolts 22, and .80

, a chamber 23 extends axially part way through the casing. A valve 24 is carried in the nozzle casing and is normally urged by the spring 25 in a` direction so that its head substantially closes the end oi the chamber. Stop member 26 is ad- 85 justed so that the valve head will not strike against the casing.

The pump casing 27 is screwed upon a depending neck portionof the nozzle casing and carries a barrel 28 in which the plunger 29 is adapt- 00 ed to be reciprocated. A spacer 30 is arranged between the neck and the barrel, and the spacer and neck have a passage therethrough establishing communication between the barrel Vand the nozzle chamber. One-wayvalves 31 are normal- 95 ly seated in the communicating passage to prevent return of oil to the pump from the nozzle. Ports 32 extend through the pump casing and the barrel and are surrounded by a housing 33 secured to the pump casing, and conduits 34 connect adjacent housings 33 and form therewith an oil feeding manifold. Oil is supplied to the manifold under low pressure in a conventional manner so that when the plungers uncover the ports 32 the nozzles will be filled with oil, and the stroke of the plungers after closing the ports will determine the quantity of the charge evacuated from the nozzles into their associated cylinder. Adjustment of the plunger vI will now describe.

stroke will therefore regulate the volume of the charges delivered.

The plunger is provided with a guide head which slides in the pump casing. A coil spring 60 urges the plunger to a position uncovering the ports 32, while an articulated rod 36 engages the guide head and rests against a rock lever 37 which is actuated to cause an injection stroke of the plunger when engaged by the cam 19. The spring and the rod and rock lever provide mechanism for actuating the plunger of the injection device, while the cam will cooperate with all of the rock levers.

The stroke of the plungers is regulated by a ring 38 and links 39 which are pivotally attached to the rod sections resting on the rock levers and to the ring. The surface 61 of the rock levers is curved longitudinally relative to the ends of the rock levers so that adjustment of the rods along such faces will result in effective plunger stroke ranges from zero to maximum. When the rods are associated adjacent the free end of the rock levers, there will be maximum fuel charges delivered, and as the rods are moved toward the pivoted end of the rock levers the volume of the delivered charges Will decrease. The ring is provided with slots 40 through which retaining bolts 41 extend, such bolts being fastened to an interior transverse wall 42 in the crank case. Rotation of the ring will shift the rods relative to the rock levers to regulate the volume of the fuel charges delivered into the compressed air in the cylinders.

The regulator ring is rotated and maintained in adjusted position through means of a novel and improved form of control mechanism which A cylindrical casing 43 extends through the crank case and is formed with a flange 44 which is drawn tightly against the crank case by the nut 45. A shaft 46 extends through the control casing and is rotatably mounted therein. Upon the inner end of this shaft is xed a yoke member 47 for carrying the roller 48, the nut 49 securing the yoke to prevent its axial displacement and the nut 50 on the outer end of the shaft 46 preventing its axial displacement from the casing. Roller 48 is mounted upon the pin 51 extending between the yoke arms. The roller engages between a pair of ears 52 projecting from a plate 53 which is fixed to the regulating ring 38. Rotation of the shaft 46 will rock the yoke and the roller and through engagement of the roller with the plate ears will rotatethe ring and thereby determine the stroke of the plungers.

The shaft 46 is easily rotated and is mounted in adjusted position through manually operated means. The outer end of the control casing is formed with an enlarged portion 54 from which extends a cylindrical casing 55. An operating member is arranged in the casing and consists of a sleeve portion 56 and a yoke portion 57. A connector 58 is fixed to the shaft 46 and extends into the casing 54 and carries a roller 59 at its free end which is associated between the arms of the yoke 57. The sleeve 56 is keyed at to the casing 55 so that it can move only in an axial direction, and the interior of the open end of the sleeve is formed With a helical thread. A shaft 71 extends into the casing 55 and carries at its end a piston 62 which is helically threaded and meshes with the sleeve thread. Cap 63 is bolted to the open end of the casing 55 and carries a bearing 64 through which the shaft 71 extends, and a coil spring 65 is seated in the cap and bears against the sleeve so that there will be no back lash between the threads of the piston and the sleeve.

The shaft 71 extends rearwardly to a remote point, for example to the cabin of an aeroplane when the engine is used for this purpose, and a hand Wheel can be fixed thereto so that it can be rotated by the pilot. It will be understood that any means for rotating the shaft can be employed. The meshing teeth of the sleeve and piston are such that motion will be easily transmitted, and the angle of the teeth is below friction and substantially irreversible without applied force. The spring bearing against the piston maintains a constant pressure between the meshing teeth and, therefore, there can be no back lash, creeping, or displacement of the control mechanism due to engine vibration and other similar causes.

Through rotation of the shaft 71 the sleeve 56 can be reciprocated and thereby rock the connector 58 which will rotate the shaft 46. The yoke 47 rotates with the shaft 46 and through the contact of the roller 48 carried thereby will transmit rotation to the regulating ring 38 H through engagement with the ears 52 of the plate '100 53. In this manner the ring can be moved to any position in which it will adjust the rod sections 36 so that the desired quantity of fuel is injected from the nozzles, or so that the engine can be f stopped. The control mechanism described is 105 preferably such that two revolutions of the shaft 71 will turn the regulating ring substantially nine degrees, however this reduction ratio can be established as may be desired.

It will be seen that the fuel charge control and "110 regulating mechanism can be easily operated and is self-retaining in any released position of adjustment.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may specifically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent thatV changes may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Mechanism for regulating fuel charges injected into internal combustion engines, comprising a cylindrical casing having an inverted end portion, a bearing carried by the inverted end of the casing, a rotatable shaft extending through the inverted end of the casing and mounted in the bearing, a piston fixed to the end of the shaft in the casing, a cylindrical sleeve` mounted to reciprocate axially in the casing, a coil spring surrounding the inverted end of the casing and engaging the piston and the sleeve, meshing helical threads on the sleeve and the piston, and actuator means connected to be operated `135 by the sleeve.

2. Mechanism for regulating fuel charges injected into internal combustion engines comprising a cylindrical casing having an enlargedA end portion, a rotatable shaft projecting through the other end portion of the casing, a piston fixed to the end of the shaft in the casing, a cylindrical sleeve mounted to slide axially in the casing, meshing helical threads on the sleeve and the piston, a yoke xed to the sleeve and extending into the enlarged end of the casing, a rotatable shaft extending into the enlarged end of the casing, and a member fixed to the shaft Within the enlarged end of the casing with which the yoke u engages. `150 3. Mechanism for regulating fuel charges injected into an internal combustion engine, comprising a cylindrical casing having one end enlarged and the other end inverted, a bearing carried by the inverted end of the casing, a rotatable shaft extending through the inverted end of the casing and mounted in the bearing, a piston fixed to the end of the shaft within the casing, a cylindrical sleeve mounted to slide axially in the cas- 

